Family Therapy
by StatsGrandma57
Summary: Following Jacen's bout of drug addiction and subsequent arrest, he's ordered to attend therapy. He's completed his requirements, and if you like happy, if imperfect, endings, you'll like this one. Complete with Chapter 5.
1. Chapter 1

FAMILY THERAPY

Session 1: All Together Now

Han and Leia were in bed, Han working on his accounts, Leia creating a lesson for her university classes.

"Tomorrow we have to see Jacen's therapist," Leia reminded her husband.

"Yeah, I know," Han grumbled as he entered figures into his datapad.

It had been a tense evening; Han had picked up Jaina earlier. Jaina was not happy to be there and neither twin was delighted to see one another. Anakin tried to smooth things over, and Jarik was delighted to see his big sister, but it had to have been the least at ease the entire family had felt since Jacen's arrest.

"Well, it is affecting our lives," Leia admitted. Neither had looked up from their datapads.

"No! Just because he's had to be supervised every second? That he cost us a ton of credits in attorney fees? That everyone's walking on eggshells around here? How could that be screwing up the rest of our lives?" Han's voice dripped sarcasm. There was a great deal of anger in his voice.

"I think that's why his therapist wants us to go," Leia sighed miserably. "Which, by the way, I'm looking forward to with the same enthusiasm I reserve for dental procedures."

"Besides, he's doing better," Han said. "His marks in school are better. I'm not sure what this is going to do. It's already succeeded in pissing Jaina off. Luke wasn't too happy about it, either."

"Don't worry. He saved the best part for me," Leia remarked dryly, setting her datapad on her night table.

"Yeah, like sending him back to Praxium's gonna solve everything," Han muttered.

"Believe me, I got an earful from him."

Han finished up his accounting. "Y'know, I like Luke, always have. One of my best friends. But we don't exactly see eye to eye on this Force stuff."

"That's a diplomatic way of putting it. Have you considered a career in politics?" Leia teased him, trying to break the tension.

Han actually laughed. "Sweetheart, if I ran the galaxy, we'd all be drunk all the time."

"Believe me, I have days when that sounds really good. Especially lately."

"I might need to make it happen after tomorrow's session," Han said to her.

"I might well be joining you." The two shut out the lights and snuggled into each other in the darkness, hoping for the sleep that had become increasingly elusive to both.

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"Come on in," Dr. Markess Lunin said, inviting the Solos inside. He was around Han's age, tall, thin and had much less hair. This made Han feel better, though he never would have admitted it to anyone.

Dr. Lunin had set up enough chairs for the six of them. Jarik sat in his - for approximately thirty seconds, at which point he was racing about the small office.

"Jarik, please sit down," Leia directed her attention to her youngest child. Jarik, as usual, ignored his mother, as he did all adults. His teachers despaired of him at times.

"Hey, twerp," Jacen said affectionately.

Dr. Lunin grinned. "I'm assuming that's a term of endearment in your family." Everyone laughed, which helped, since everyone was tense. It was telling that Jacen was at one end of the line of chairs and Jaina on the opposite. Leia and Han were in the center, Anakin next to his mother, Jarik next to Han in theory. "Jaina, thanks for making the trip."

Jaina folded her arms across her chest and kept her eyes down. "I wasn't given a choice."

"Tell me about that," Lunin encouraged her.

"What if I don't want to?" she said sullenly.

"That's up to you," Lunin told her respectfully.

"My parents made me come," she continued.

"What was going on when you had to leave?" Lunin asked Jaina, who still would not make eye contact and maintained her guarded posture.

"I was in the middle of building my lightsaber."

"Pretty important task for a Jedi," the therapist noted. "I do know that some of you are Force sensitive. That probably compounds whatever's going on with you and your brother."

"No shit." Jaina was closing up further. Lunin was skilled enough to move on at that point.

"Jacen, how're you doing with Jaina at this point?"

Jacen looked sad. "She doesn't wanna be here."

"No, you only get to speak for yourself," Lunin said, his tone light. "Care to say how having your twin sister here with you?"

Jacen felt a tear slide out of his eye. "If she doesn't wanna be here, she should go back to Yavin."

"She's here for two weeks, buddy," Han told him. "Might as well tell her what's on your mind."

Jacen looked over at Jaina, who hadn't changed her defensive posture. "If you were gonna come here and be a beyotch, I wish you'd stayed back on Yavin, Miss Super Jedi."

"Fine! I'm done here. I'll get a transport!" Jaina got up abruptly, and turned to her parents. "Don't you ever make me do this again! It's not my problem!"

"Get back here, young lady!" Han said sharply. "You want to help your brother? We don't know what to do, either, but we're trying!"

Jaina glared at her father with a malice no one had ever witnessed. "You have any idea what it's like being known as the twin of a loser brother? Like that really helps my rep!"

Jacen became intensely angry. "Oh, and you think it's great being the brother of Miss I'm Way Too Cool? You always get what you want!"

"Well, at least I know what I want and how to ask for it!"

Lunin leaned back in his chair. "Okay, time out. There's a lot of anger here, lots to be worked through. Let's see if we can do something without shouting."

"In our family? Forget it," Anakin said in his typical good natured fashion. All six members of the family laughed. There was more than a bit of truth to that.

Lunin smiled. "I like a family that can laugh at themselves."

"If we couldn't laugh at ourselves, we'd be even more unbearable than we already are," Han said, and the rest of the family followed with more laughter.

Jacen's expression turned wistful. "I have a hard time laughing like you guys do. It makes me feel left out."

Leia smiled at her eldest son. "It took me a long time to learn to laugh at myself. You can blame your father for teaching me how to do it," she said, a slightly wicked grin crossing her features.

"Just because you belong to this family doesn't mean you have to be like them," Lunin said to Jacen.

"I'm bored!" Jarik announced. "I wanna go play with Sark and Quall!"

"Soon, buddy," Han said to him. "In the meantime, try not to destroy everything." The three siblings and Leia had to laugh; the running joke was about Jarik's radius of destruction. He was tall for his age, but even having accounted for that, it still extended far beyond what one would consider imaginable.

"He's not Force sensitive," Jacen said to Lunin. "I'm jealous of him."

"Why is that?" Lunin asked.

"'Cause he doesn't have to feel things that scare him." Jacen broke eye contact again.

"Y'know, pal, even when you're not Force sensitive, you can have feelings like that," Han reminded him.

"You're never afraid," Jacen accused his father.

"Only complete morons are never afraid," Han told him. "Now, I realize that since you're sixteen you might think I'm a complete moron, but leave off the complete part and you're pretty accurate." There was more laughter.

Lunin was laughing with them, which was helping everyone to calm down. "I think what your dad is telling you is that courage isn't about not being afraid. It's about being afraid and doing it anyway."

"The only time you can be brave _is _when you're afraid," Leia told her son gently.

"Fear's actually practical," Lunin advised. "It's a built in warning signal in nearly every species."

"You think I don't know that? I wake up every day and think, is this the day I'm gonna fuck up again?" Jacen said wistfully.

"You don't have to do that, you know." To everyone's surprise, it was Jaina, and her voice had lost its bitter edge. Jacen could feel her relaxing a little. "You've got a lotta people who've got your back."

"Like?" Jacen challenged her.

"Oh, stop whining and think about it!" She was irritated, but less than before. "You think just because you made me incredibly pissed off that I don't understand you? In case you've forgotten, I feel you, even when I don't like it."

"I always feel like you don't want me to be around. Like I'm a drag on you," Jacen said sadly.

"Jacen, stop trying to compare yourself to me. We're alike in that we're in the Force and that we're twins. We have the same parents and brothers. But maybe you're supposed to do things that I'm not going to do. Just 'cause you're a different person doesn't mean you suck. But you always get yourself in this 'Jaina's better than me so I'm not even gonna try' thinking and I get mad at that 'cause you don't have to be like me!"

"Uncle Luke doesn't see us that way," Jacen said, bitterness creeping into his voice.

"Uncle Luke's an idiot sometimes," Jaina said to him. "I mean, yeah, I didn't really wanna interrupt my studies and building my lightsaber to do this but man, Uncle Luke was acting like I was gonna fall to the Dark Side by coming back here!"

"I hate that most of all," Jacen said furiously. "Just 'cause his father went to the Dark Side he's all paranoid about it."

"My sentiments exactly," Leia said, looking to her son and daughter on each end.

"The kid does get carried away sometimes," Han conceded. "His one saving grace is having a wife who'll kick his ass, although not often enough if you ask me." Everyone laughed again.

"I just want you to be happy, Jace," Anakin told him. "Yeah, I like being with people. But you love your animals and they can talk to you. That's pretty cool."

"I wanna go home!" Jarik interjected.

"Come over here, twerp," Jaina ordered her youngest brother and pulled him on her lap.

"I like my animals better than people sometimes," Jacen admitted.

"I hear ya there, kiddo," Han said.

"Jacen, we do need to do a lot more work," Lunin said. "I'd like to meet with you and Jaina together in a couple days. Jaina, how long are you here?"

"Thirteen more days," she answered. "Well, twelve, 'cause the last day's travel day."

"I think we can make that work," the therapist said, entering notes into his datapad. "And I'm very hopeful for you, especially after today. You have a family that's boisterous and loud and that might feel overpowering to you, but it's clear that they all love you deeply. And the reason I feel even more optimistic is despite all of you facing some very serious issues, you're able to laugh about it. I don't hear a lot of laughter in my office. A family in crisis that's able to laugh, that's something to celebrate."

"Speaking of which, I'm starved," Jaina mentioned.

"I'm hungry, too!" Jarik echoed.

"Hmm," Leia murmured. "Does anyone feel like lunch at Bakura Barbecue, where we can be as loud as we want?"

"Oh man, that sounds delicious," Jacen agreed.

"We can offend the tables all around us," Han said, smiling.

"Yeah, and then they leave!" Jaina said gleefully.

"Jacen, Jaina, see you in two days." Lunin looked up. "Good on all of you."

Jacen spoke very softly to his twin. "Was it as bad as you thought?"

She thought about it, using the same expression that Han did when he pretended to ponder something.

"Nah. Now come on, I'm famished!"


	2. Chapter 2

FAMILY THERAPY

Session 2: It's Just Us Two

Dr. Lunin greeted the twins, who returned two days after the family session.

"Thanks for being here, Jaina," Lunin told her.

"He's my brother. What'm I supposed to do?" She shrugged.

"Jacen, what's going on?"

Jacen yawned. "We stayed up real late."

"What did you do while staying up late?"

"Looking at old holos," Jacen said.

"Talking about what we did when we were younger," Jaina added.

"What was that like?" Lunin asked.

"Kinda fun," Jacen said.

"Lotta fun times," Jaina concurred.

"What were some of the most fun?"

The twins glanced at each other. "WonderWaterWorld," they said together.

"We've been there four times," Jaina said. "First time, we were three, so we were all in the kiddie pools, but it was great. Then we went again when Jace and I were seven, and we got to ride more of the crazy rides, but when we were nine, we were tall enough to go on everything, and then when we were thirteen, we totally went nuts. It was great!"

"Was fun," Jacen agreed.

"Oh yeah. We killed the Wormhole," Jaina said, smiling for the first time since Lunin had met her.

"I've been there a couple times. Had a blast," Lunin said. "Don't like the Cyclone, but everything else? Awesome."

"Aren't you kinda old for that?" Jaina asked him, but was laughing.

"Aw, c'mon, Mom and Dad go on all the crazy rides. We make 'em stay away from us."

"They're a public embarrassment," Jaina told the therapist, but both laughed.

"They scream louder than anyone," Jacen said. "Especially Mom. She's like so cool most of the time, but get her to a waterpark and she goes nuts."

"Daddy's pretty obnoxious there, too," Jaina laughed.

"Tell me about life at the Praxium," Lunin beckoned them.

It was at this point the twins began squirming and their unity was starting to break apart.

"It's pretty intense," Jaina answered. "They make us do lots of physical activity, they consider it part of the training.

"Which I hate," Jacen added. "I'm not a runner and I'm not a gymnast."

"Go on," Lunin urged them on.

"We learn about the history of the Jedi," Jaina continued. "They were wiped out but because of Uncle Luke and Aunt Mara, they're coming back."

"You do meditation," Jacen interjected.

"Which I can't do to save my life," Jaina added. "I'm an active person. I like moving around."

"I couldn't meditate, either," Jacen said. "Course, stim keeps you hopped up, so you can't sit still anywhere."

"And it makes you an asshole," Jaina said pointedly.

"Oh, and you've never been an asshole!" Jacen snapped at her. "You were the queen at day school and now you're queen of Praxium!"

"I work hard! Sorry you're lazy - "

"I'm not lazy!"

"Okay, guys, let's work on this, maybe with a little less yelling," Lunin interjected. "Jacen, you see your sister as royalty, and Jaina, you see your brother as sloth. Let's see if we can change some of that."

Jaina crossed her arms over her chest and refused to look at her brother, and Jacen did the same.

"Jacen, think of something really helpful that your sister did for you," Lunin encouraged.

"Like when?"

"Anything, anytime."

Jacen thought. "She always introduces me to people. I'm not comfortable going up to someone and saying hi, but she makes it easier for me."

"Jaina?"

She smiled softly. "He's better at biology than just about anyone. Not my best subject. Here's the thing: Jacen's really smart. I can feel him and I know he is. He just won't believe it."

"Well, it's not as if I've been a genius lately," Jacen responded, but with the Solo Snark.

"No, you haven't," Jaina agreed. "And I block you more than I should, but the pain...damn, I'm sorry you had to go through that."

Jacen was moved to the point where his eyes became wet.

"Okay, okay, no going all weepy on me!" Jaina said, half laughing, half serious. Jacen laughed and rubbed at his eyes. "I mean, yeah, you've been an idiot and you've made Mom and Daddy crazy and Ani doesn't get it and Jarik still thinks you're the best thing that ever happened."

"I know."

"And yeah, I'm still pissed at you about it."

"I know, I know! Stop!"

"But I'm even more pissed at your so-called friends."

"So'm I."

"Jacen, you had a choice," Lunin said. "But no one always makes the right choices. It's part of the human condition."

"Yeah, Jag Fel," Jaina grumbled.

"That was a dick move," Jacen told her. He looked up at Lunin. "There's this guy and he really likes Jaina but he thought his Navy stuff was more important. She deserves better."

"I don't wanna talk about Jag." Jaina was still smarting from him breaking up with her to pursue his military training.

"Yeah, I think we're getting far afield," Lunin agreed. "Let's stick to what's going on with you guys."

"Fair enough," Jacen agreed.

Jaina turned to look at her twin. "You know, you should really think about coming back to Praxium. I think it'd be totally different for you this time."

Jacen shook his head. "No. I'm not ready. I'm not interested in becoming a Jedi knight. I hate that kind of thing. I don't want to be a peacekeeper or gods forbid a soldier. The only part that I'm interested in is the Living Force, and Uncle Luke's more of a Unifying Force kinda guy."

"He considers the Living Force part of it," Jaina argued.

"Maybe some other time." Jacen became sullen.

Lunin interjected. "I'm hearing an awful lot about Uncle Luke. He seems to play a major role in all this. Would it be possible to get him to come for a session?"

"He's busy," Jaina said. "And he's on Yavin, and I don't think he'd come."

"I don't want him here," Jacen's tone was angry and defensive.

"Uncle Luke is a blood relative as opposed to a family friend?" Lunin asked.

"My mom's twin brother," Jacen said.

"Jacen, doesn't sound as if you like him very much," Lunin observed.

"He's okay. I mean, like when he comes to visit and hang out with my dad, he's like a regular guy, but he can be a real jerk when he's not. And I'm sick of him saying that I'm gonna end up on the Dark Side of the Force if I don't get my training."

"He's just paranoid because his dad was Darth Vader," Jaina explained.

"Oh?" If Lunin was surprised, he didn't indicate it.

"So that's what we gotta deal with," Jacen said.

Lunin was thoughtful. "I'm thinking we should get Uncle Luke in here for a session."

"He'll never come. He'll just say that I have to come back to Praxium or I'll fall to the Dark Side." Jacen was closing off more and more. "And he bugs my mom about it all the time."

"Your mom's Force sensitive?" Lunin made a note on his datapad.

"She is. But doesn't wanna get trained," Jaina told him.

"How do you feel about that?"

Jaina and Jacen both shrugged. "Up to her," they said, almost in unison, and burst out laughing.

Lunin smiled. "Would you be comfortable with me talking to your uncle?"

The two looked at each other.

"I don't think he'll do it, but go ahead if you want to," Jacen said.

"Good luck with that one," Jaina told the counselor.

"Leave me his information, and I'll comm him. I think that's enough for today. Jaina, would you be willing to do one or two more visits with your brother?"

"Oh, why the hells not? I'm here already."

"Thanks," Jacen said to her. And meant it.


	3. Chapter 3

FAMILY THERAPY

Session 3: Diplomacy and Music

"Nice to see you again, Mr. Solo, Mrs. Solo," Lunin greeted them warmly. "Jacen, thanks for coming with your mom and dad today."

Jacen seemed uneasy. He sat between his parents, looking down.

"So Jacen," Lunin began. "You look uncomfortable."

Jacen didn't make eye contact. "I've given 'em a pretty hard time. I don't blame 'em."

"Jacen, honey, I'm not saying this is easy, but we have been in difficult places before. We will get through this," Leia told him gently, laying a small hand on her son's shoulder. Jacen looked like a younger version of his father and would either reach or surpass Han in height. Leia had always felt close to her eldest son until he'd gone to Praxium. Ever since then, she'd felt his distance to her.

"That's why we're here," Han reminded the boy, who was all arms and legs and insecurity.

Lunin felt that he needed a safe approach.

"Jacen, how were things with your sister after you and she left?"

Jacen looked up and smiled a little. "Not too bad. We stayed up too late again last night."

"I know. Watching hybrid monster holofilms," Han commented, but smiled. Han loved those films and Jaina in particular enjoyed them, but Jacen was not against watching them, either.

"I thought you were asleep," Jacen said, aghast. "We weren't trying to disturb you."

"You didn't. I was just thirsty and woke up for a few minutes," Han explained. "I could tell from the music." All three of them laughed.

"My sister and I used to watch 'em when we were younger," Jacen explained. "Whenever Uncle Chewie took care of us, he'd let us stay up and watch 'em."

"It's nice to see that you two are finding that you still have a lot in common," Lunin nodded, making a note into his datapad.

"Yeah. We're getting there."

"Mrs. Solo, what would you like your son to know about how this has affected you?" the therapist asked softly.

Leia, a trained diplomat, was accustomed to choosing her words carefully.

"I'm worried about you, Jacen," she said tenderly. "I know that you're working very hard to turn your life around, but I still worry that the cravings will become overpowering. I'm proud that you have thus far avoided relapsing, but I confess that I sleep less easily these days."

"Mom," Jacen began. "The brain wave treatments are helping, but they tell me it takes a while before it stops. I won't say I never have cravings, but I'm doing what I can to beat 'em."

"I know," Leia said, and gave her son a gentle smile. "I had friends in the war years who became addicted. Most recovered, but a couple of them didn't make it." She winced at the memory. But I know you can."

Jacen looked sadly at his mother. "What if it comes back?"

"We'll cross that bridge if we ever come to it, and honestly, honey, you're too stubborn to go there again."

Leia continued. "You're starting to think differently. You've brought your grades up, not enough yet for veterinary college, but if you stay on track, they will continue to improve, and I think you can look forward to doing something that brings you joy. I'm not saying it's quick or easy. It isn't. But I have faith in you and in the future."

"I don't wanna let you guys down again," Jacen said, rubbing his eyes. Leia stroked her son's hair.

"No one ever wants to let anyone down. Looking back, I think I let you and Jaina and Ani down a lot by always being so busy."

"'Sokay. The galaxy'd be a lot bigger mess if you didn't do what you did," Jacen said to her. "Yeah, I liked it better when you were around. I hated it when you left. I felt like the galaxy was way more important to you than us kids. But I think Ani's right. He said you wanted to have a galaxy that was good for kids."

"I did. It's what your dad and I fought for. But I will agree that there were times I should have been there and wasn't."

Lunin looked over at Leia. She was a deeply compassionate woman, and her love for her son knew no boundaries. And it was clear that he was very much attached to her. Sixteen year old boys generally were not big on showing affection towards their mothers at that age, but it was very clear to the therapist that she was her son's ally.

"Stop the guilt trip, Mom," Jacen said. "It's over. It's got nothing to do with why I did stim." He was clearly irritated, but to Lunin, it was clear that she would do whatever was needed to help her son.

"Why do you think you did it?" Han asked Jacen, but his voice was quiet, the soft voice of the very private part of Han Solo.

"I just wanted to be liked, I guess. Jaina's so good at making friends. And everybody's Ani's friend."

"Jace, Ani's probably made friends unknowingly with a few axe murderers," Han reminded him. He put his hand on his son's back. "Discrimination is not his strong suit."

"I was so homesick at Praxium," Jacen told his parents. "I don't feel ready to train. I didn't wanna be away from home. I feel safe at home. Most places, not so much. Mom, Dad, I'm sorry, but being a Jedi knight's not for me. I hate fighting and it seems that all they do there is train us to fight."

Han left his hand on Jacen's back. "You always were our kid that was least likely to get hurt in a cantina fight," Han said, and Jacen and Leia both laughed."

Jacen asked Han, "So who's most likely to?"

Han considered that. "In the past, I would've said Jaina, but I think Jarik's gonna be the one."

"I wouldn't be surprised," Leia said, smiling and shaking her head.

"Mr. Solo, is there anything in particular you'd like to tell your son?" Lunin asked him.

Han looked at his son. He didn't smile, but there was great tenderness in his expression.

"Buddy, there's a lot of stuff I've done in my life I'm not proud of. All I can say is that you find a way to move on. You know I was a smuggler when I met your mom. Not exactly the most honorable lifestyle. Fortunately, I met your mom, and that's what turned it all around for me. Not that you necessarily have to wait for the right girl. You can do it."

Jacen had a more pointed question for his father. "Does it bug you that I don't care about piloting or mechanics?"

Han looked baffled. "Why would it bug me? There's something from each of you kids that I love and enjoy. With Jaina, it's piloting. Ani's always tinkering, not always with the desired results." Han smiled affectionately. "We have our music, something I've missed. You're a far better player than I am."

"What about the twerp?"

Leia and Han laughed. "We get weekly comms requesting that we medicate him," Han indicated to Lunin. "He's got the raw talent for mechanics. If he can keep his mind on something for more than thirty seconds, I might actually let him try to work on the _Falcon. _Don't quote me on that, though."

"He's a pretty cool kid," Jacen conceded. "He cracks me up."

"He does provide nonstop entertainment," Leia agreed.

Han put his arm over Jacen's shoulders. "Look, I get where you're coming from. You're not as outgoing as some of the family. But you don't have to be. You're a gentle person."

"Do I have to go back to Praxium?" Jacen asked wistfully.

Leia shook her head. "No, you don't. Whether you want to in the future is up to you. But your father and I are not going to force you to go."

"Uncle Luke says I'm getting too old," Jacen said to his mother.

Leia chuckled. "Your uncle was twenty-two when he began training. Of course, he was the only one left by then, so if he wasn't trained, the Jedi wouldn't exist. And I've told him to knock off the Dark Side threats." She rolled her eyes. "I love my brother, but his enthusiasm can be...misplaced."

"You see, this is why your mom's a diplomat," Han said to Jacen and Lunin. Everyone laughed.

"By the way, Jacen, I comm'd your Uncle Luke," Lunin told him. "He's willing to meet with us next week."

"Did he call you or Dad?" Jacen asked Leia.

"I'm sure he will." She turned to Lunin. "He and his wife keep an apartment on Coruscant."

"I hope Aunt Mara comes," Jacen said.

"Comm her and ask," Han suggested.

Lunin turned off the datapad that contained Jacen's case file. "I think we've done well today. Jacen, it's obvious that your parents love you very much and are doing all they can to help you."

"They're all right," Jacen agreed, and the family exited, a little more at ease than before.

Small steps, Leia reminded herself. Small steps cover long distances.


	4. Chapter 4

FAMILY THERAPY

Session 4: Of Jedis and Humble Pie

Luke had arrived on Coruscant just an hour before the appointments he was supposed to have with Jacen, his sister and brother in law, and the rest of the family as well. Luke was notorious for running behind, and it was taking considerable willpower on Leia's part not to chew him out.

"Thanks for coming," Han said to Luke. He loved Luke like a brother, and he knew that it wasn't convenient for Luke to have to leave Yavin. Sometimes 'the kid' drove him crazy but he was certain that Luke felt the same way about him.

"I'd like to help Jacen," Luke said. "I'm not sure this is the way to best accomplish that, but that's not for me to say."

"I appreciate that," Leia said, giving her brother a hug. Jacen's problems had created something of a rift between the two, and Leia hoped mightily that this would be a time of healing for them. "How's Mara?" Jacen loved his aunt, and was disappointed that she hadn't come.

"Mara's good," Luke assured her. "She wanted to come but someone has to keep the kids in line. She's worried about Jacen, too."

The three adults accompanied Jacen to Lunin's office, where they were greeted in the warm fashion that Lunin possessed. He was a calm man, and if anyone could calm the members of the Skywalker-Solo clan, it was him.

"Mr. Skywalker, nice to meet you," Lunin shook hands with Jedi.

"It's Luke. Likewise."

Jacen looked completely nervous. He alternated between cracking his knuckles and biting his nails, a behavior he'd engaged in a lot as of late. He'd also been badmouthing his uncle, and it was likely to come back to bite him on the butt.

"Jacen, would you feel comfortable telling your uncle how you feel about him being here?"

"Not really," Jacen admitted, his voice so soft. "But I guess I have to, don't I?"

"Jacen, you can tell me anything," Luke said softly.

Jacen looked down at the floor. "You always say I'm gonna fall to the Dark Side. I hate that."

"I do worry about it," Luke admitted. "The future isn't written, though. It can be changed." He kept his tone soothing.

"I'm not ready to train," Jacen said sadly, a tear leaching from his eye. "I was so homesick. I just wanted to be with my mom and dad and Uncle Chewie and Ani and Jarik."

"Homesickness can be tough," Lunin said, nodding.

"You can use the Force to help with that," Luke told him. "We do exercises in the youngling classes so that they can deal with homesickness and missing their families."

"How old are the younglings?" Lunin asked.

"Three, four and five years old," Luke told him.

If Lunin had an opinion on that, he kept it to himself.

Luke, however, was not fooled. "You feel that's too young."

"What I think isn't at issue here," Lunin said quietly. "It's what Jacen thinks."

"I don't feel ready," Jacen repeated. "I know I'm older than a lot of the kids there. But I need to be with my mom and dad. Jaina's ready. But I'm not Jaina."

"I know you're not," Luke said. "And my twin doesn't feel ready, either."

"I hate the fighting. I hate fencing class and running and gymnastics. I'm not gonna be a Jedi knight. If the Jedi are so peaceful, why do we spend so much time fighting?" Jacen's tone had become angry.

"Part of the responsibility of a Jedi knight is to prepare to fight against evil," Luke said simply. "We hope that that will never happen again, of course. But part of it is making you stretch, get outside yourself."

"I know what the Force does for me. It makes me be able to talk to animals. I can figure out what's wrong with them, how to make them comfortable. I wanna learn about the Living Force."

"The Living Force is important," Luke said. "But only a fully trained Jedi can control the Force, and to do that, you need to learn all of it."

Jacen was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. "You're not listening to me."

Lunin cut in. "Why do you think your uncle's not listening to you?"

"All he talks about is why I should continue training."

Lunin cut over to Luke. "It's clear that Jacen doesn't feel comfortable with the idea of pursuing training at this time. Luke, let's talk about that."

"Sure." Luke was not being angry or defensive. Lunin sensed he was more open to the process of helping Jacen than Jacen believed.

"Please stop saying I'll fall to the Dark Side," Jacen begged his uncle.

"Is that something you're willing to do?" Lunin asked Luke.

"Yes," Luke said immediately. "I don't want to scare you. I'd like to help you."

"I don't know how," Jacen said, near tears.

"Can you honor Jacen's desire not to continue with his training at this time?" Lunin asked.

"I can. Yes," Luke said to his nephew. He turned to Lunin. "Can we do a guided imagery exercise?"

"I think that could be positive," Lunin agreed. "Jacen, will you agree to this?"

"Yeah." Jacen sniffed hard and rubbed his eyes. "Sure."

"Close your eyes," Luke said to his nephew. "Try to relax each part of your body. Start with your toes, take as much time as you like, being conscious only of the relaxation that floods you. I'm going to do this with you. You can stop me at any time."

Jacen's expression was skeptical. "This is the same thing we learned at Praxium. I could never do it right."

"Just try. If you can't, that's fine," Luke assured him. Luke thought back to Yoda's admonition, 'do, or do not. There is no try.' He understood what the late Jedi master was trying to demonstrate to him, but sometimes, everyone needed to try. It was very different working with padawans, as Luke had rapidly discovered.

Jacen followed Luke's voice and he was conscious of a deep calm falling over him. He had long ago forgotten what being calm felt like. The brain wave treatments worked on the cravings but the anxiety had persisted.

Finally, it began to flow out of the teenager. Luke's voice, instead of being an irritant, washed over him like the warm clear water at some of the beaches his parents had taken him and his siblings to. His head began to clear a little. Even Lunin was enjoying the exercise.

"Open your eyes slowly," Luke said softly. Jacen did as instructed. He looked as if he was waking from a long sleep.

"How're you feeling now, Jacen?" Lunin asked him.

"Um...okay. Not bad," Jacen conceded.

"I damn near fell asleep," the therapist admitted. "Your uncle's given you a very useful tool. When you feel yourself anxious, keep it in mind."

"I'm still not ready to go back to Praxium," Jacen said quietly.

"I know," Luke said softly. "But when you do feel ready, it'll be there for you."

"I do want to learn about the Living Force," Jacen said. "Just not this week."

Luke went on. "Your aunt and I haven't discussed this with anyone yet, but we want to open other temples as we have more qualified instructors, so that padawans can stay closer to their families. I've had several families refuse to let their children train because it separates them. Coruscant has a temple already, but we need more instructors."

"I wanna work with animals. I've been trying to bring my marks up," Jacen said.

"You have a good soul, Jacen. And you're easily hurt, which is why I worry about the Dark Side so much in your case. But I am not going to say it to you anymore. I said I wouldn't, and I won't."

"Thanks. I 'preciate that," Jacen said. "Maybe I was just so messed up that I didn't really hear what you were saying."

Luke smiled. "I know that I have a tendency to become overly enthusiastic. Your aunt points this out frequently." Everyone laughed.

Lunin made a few quick notes into his datapad. "Jacen, do you feel differently about your uncle now than you did before?"

"Yeah. Think so," Jacen said. "Are we done? I'm getting hungry."

"I could use a good nerfburger myself," Luke conceded.

"Thanks for coming, Luke," Lunin told him.

"I'm glad I did," Luke said. "C'mon, Jace, let's get some lunch."


	5. Chapter 5

FAMILY THERAPY

Session 5: In a Better Place

Jacen continued to attend therapy, mostly on his own, but sometimes with other family members. He was treated for depression as well, and it helped him immensely in relating to family and others. The court expunged his case, as he was a juvenile with no other offenses and had completed all the requirements. The judge, a kindly Mon Calamari, congratulated him on his hard work and smiled as she said that she was confident that she'd never see him again.

Winter Fete was exceptionally joyous for the family. They were communicating better. Jacen had a better understanding of where his uncle and twin sister were coming from, and he got on with them much better.

Jacen was setting out candles for the first night celebration.

"When should we light 'em?" Jacen asked his mother.

Luke, Mara, Ben and Lilith were coming to Coruscant for the holiday. Jacen was actually looking forward to seeing them. Jaina, still at Praxium, would be accompanying them as well.

"Which'll be at least a couple hours later than they said it would be," Han remarked dryly. He was lying on the sofa, watching the daily sports wrap up. Jarik and his friends Sark and Quall were racing about the apartment and annoying Han every chance they've got.

Leia's comm went off. It was Sark's mother, insisting that he return home. He lived in the same building, as did Quall, so Leia took advantage of the situation to send both boys home.

"Thank you," Han said to her.

Threepio was helping Leia put up the boughs of evergreens and spices. "Captain, might I offer you an ale?" Threepio asked him.

"Yeah, thanks," Han told him. He still found Threepio irritating, but there was no malice in the droid. And not having to get off the sofa was a nice touch. He and Chewie had been busting their humps with an incredible number of shipments over the past month, largely in preparation for Winter Fete, which was celebrated on most planets in the galaxy. Most planets kept their unique holidays, but Winter Fete, which had originally been a Jedi religious holiday, was a common one to most worlds. It had morphed into a more secular celebration over time, and it was still celebrated despite the reign of the Empire. Once the Alliance had defeated the Empire, it had become a time of wild festivity.

"Dad, you're being a lazy slug," Jacen kidded his father.

"I earned it," Han told him archly. "And you're blocking the scores." But Jacen recognized that it was just his father being who he was.

Jacen and Leia began preparing the dinner together. Anakin was trying to keep Jarik distracted from being distracted by proposing building a robot. Like Anakin, Jacen had superb mechanical skills - provided he could concentrate for more than a minute or two.

Jacen was putting together a salad of fruits and vegetables when the intercom went off. Leia hit the talk button. "Yes?"

"We're here!" Luke sang out happily. Leia disarmed the entry for them.

"Oh. My. Gods. The apocalypse must be imminent," Han yelled over from the sofa.

"That they're here on time?" Leia laughed. "Mark the date, please!"

The Skywalkers and Jaina bounded their way in to the apartment. "Bro!" Jaina shouted, throwing her arms around Jacen. "You look fantastic!"

"I'm doing all right," Jacen told her with a smile.

Mara hugged her nephew. "You're doing great, kiddo."

Luke extended a hand to his nephew, but Jacen hugged his uncle vigorously.

"Careful there! My bones are older than yours!" Luke said, laughing. "And you're a lot taller than I am these days."

"Uncle Luke, everyone's taller than you," Jaina commented to him.

"Well, when it comes to the male of the species, that's probably true!" Luke laughed.

There were hugs and greetings that went on for several minutes. Laughter abounded as if it was guarding them from bad weather and worse.

The conversation was light and bantering and rich with affection. The smashball game between the Corellian Drednoughts and the Tatooine Glop Monsters came on the holovision. Han and Luke argued over their teams as always, betting on the point spread, and Jaina joined Han in cheering his utterly dreadful Drednoughts.

Jacen had always been on the sidelines in the boisterous crowd of his family, but now, he felt as if he belonged. He was forming purpose in his life. The last and best piece of advice Lunin had left with him was that families are imperfect, friends are imperfect, communication is imperfect. It was just the way things were.

But through lots of discussions with his parents, siblings, aunt and uncle, he'd learned that his personality might not be as outgoing as his parents or siblings, they loved him for who he was, and Jacen now was feeling a certain belonging that had eluded him for so long. He and Jaina's twin bond was stronger than ever, and each respected the other. They'd always argue over some things, but their bond would last a lifetime and possibly even beyond. Anakin was grateful that his elder brother had found some peace, and Jarik, well, Jarik still thought his oldest brother was still the most awesome. His marks in school were dramatically better. He and Leia became close again, and he and Han were writing music and playing it.

Life, he'd decided, really was great.

"Dinner's served!" Leia announced. Normally Leia was not especially loud, save for when she was arguing with her husband and/or children, but the din was such that she had to project.

"This smells fantastic," Luke said enthusiastically. "My sister's become one terrific cook."

"I know, would you have ever believed it?" Leia said, laughing and giving her twin a one armed hug. "I'm enjoying it a lot. Jacen and I prepared it together."

"You're not trying to secretly poison me, are you, buddy?" Han kidded Jacen, his eyes dancing with mirth.

"You can never be too sure," Jacen said, smiling back at his father.

"Mom, you outdid yourself," Jaina said, taking a bite of her mother's nerf tenderloin in puff pastry with a rich pepper and wine sauce.

"Thanks, sweetie," Leia told her. The table was groaning under the weight of the tenderloin, a dish of grains and dried grapes, homemade wastril rolls that Jacen had baked, a salad of seasonal vegetables and fruits, sweet tubers in spice. And that wasn't counting the desserts. Leia normally went to the bakery for sweets, but she and Jacen had prepared kavasa tarts (Han's favorite), a chocolate cake with a melted liquid center (Leia's favorite), and blue cream cookies (Jarik's favorite). "Your twin did a lot of this, so we'll give him some credit."

Jaina eyeballed Jacen, pretending to ponder the matter. "Hmm. Should I? Yeah, of course you get credit!" The twins laughed together, Jaina mock punching her brother in the shoulder.

"So what's going on at Praxium?" Jacen asked Luke and Mara.

Mara spoke up first. "We've determined that we need to learn more about sentient species, and while we don't know someone with that depth of knowledge who is Force sensitive, the uncle of one of our younglings is very skilled in that area. So we've hired him. He may not be Force sensitive, but he's extremely interested in the learning process of the Jedi. And we have two new mathematics tutors. Admittedly, one of them is thirteen, but he's very Force sensitive and a genius to boot."

"That's really cool!" Jacen said enthusiastically. "Which reminds me. I just finished my semester here on Coruscant at day school, and I was thinking, I'd like to come to Yavin and work on my training and finishing my studies for university."

Luke didn't seem to be all that surprised; neither did Mara. "We'd be thrilled to have you join us," Luke said warmly. "I know that you're very drawn to being at home, so if you do feel homesick, or off about anything, come talk to us."

"And you can always comm us here," Han reminded him. "Just because you're off world doesn't mean we're not there for you."

"Thanks, Dad," Jacen said softly to Han.

"It'll be great having you back," Jaina smiled at her brother. "By the way, Tenel Ka says hi. I think she has a little crush on you."

"Unpossible!" Jacen laughed, but blushed a little, too. He thought the young girl was quite cute and sweet.

"Is she your girlfriend?" Jarik asked his eldest brother.

"Maybe someday. Who knows? The future's not written yet," he told his brother, who seemed to be having trouble sitting still. Jarik was pure energy.

"No, it's not," Mara said to her nephew. "But from where Luke and I sit, yours is looking as if it could move in a good direction."

Anakin raised his glass. "To Jacen."

Everyone else did the same. "To Jacen."

Jacen smiled at his extended family. "May the Force be with us all."


End file.
